1h 18min | Animation, Adventure, Family | 18 October 1967 | Color, ws
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman
Stars: Phil Harris, Sebastian Cabot, Louis Prima, George Sanders, Sterling Holloway, Chad Stuart.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061852/
Watched online, option 1; excellent print.
8 songs in the Soundtracks, but 2 are reprises.
I certainly had heard the Bare Necessities song before, and have liked other Kipling things, but don't think I've watched this whole film before. Am I going to learn to appreciate Disney after all?
I like the story: 1 evil cat (tiger, who's really just learned to hate man), 1 amazingly good cat (panther), a fun bear, a bunch o'monkeys including their king who wants to be human, some vultures from Liverpool (or at least their accents are), some imperialist elephants marching around, and a sssinister snake. The monkeys aren't actually helpful, but the panther, bear, vultures and elephants all want what's best for the boy, er, man cub.
Maybe my reaction is extra favorable because of the hideous film watched immediately preceding, with the predatory manager being so cruel to the band, and utilizing hookers left and right to manipulate them and others, and the band having to resort to trickery to get rid of him. Nice jungle animals make a stark contrast.
The voices are extra pleasurable, because I recognized all those I listed above except for Chad Stuart. He was one of the vultures (4 onscreen, but only 2 voice credits). He's half of Chad and Jeremy, who had a full episode on the Dick Van Dyke Show, as a British pop duo who get mobbed wherever they go, and the staff have to protect them.
Disc is on order; gotta have it (for the right price).
Disney, dir. Reitherman; 8
